Today, the Ultimate Fighting Championship officially releases one of the more anticipated sagas: UFC Bad Blood: Liddell vs Ortiz DVD to the public.

Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment, and produced by PositiveImage Video, we see Chuck Liddell and “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz articulate their viewpoints with a third viewpoint provided by UFC president Dana White, who managed both fighters at one point. While the story is skewed towards The Iceman’s point of view, the spirit of the story shines through, capturing one of the most exciting times in UFC history.

“If he’s willing to stand up and strike with me, he’s going to get knocked out – and he knows it.” – Chuck Liddell.

The main story is shot in typical UFC Primetime style with the trademark quality. It holds up well overall to viewing on my 2011 MacBook Pro’s 1080p screen (1920 x 1080) but some of the older standard definition sequences are predictably grainy. There is also a Blu-Ray version offered (not reviewed). The sound is also good overall, but I remember the crowd being much louder during the actual fights. This is noticeable on the UFC 129 DVD as well. We see Tito and Chuck return to their old stomping grounds and recount the early days of their career and the UFC. Longtime UFC fans will appreciate the stroll down memory lane.

The bonus footage is standard, at least on the DVD version: The UFC 47 and UFC 66 fights, and the UFC 66 countdown. It would have been great to have more of of the backstage Ultimate Fighter footage there as bonus material (some is included in the main story). I also noticed that Tito’s girlfriend,Jenna Jameson, was not interviewed for whatever reason while Chuck Liddell’s fiancée Heidi Northcott was. It would have been nice to have heard from her or have it explained why she was unable to talk for the DVD.

While not extensive, there is no question UFC Bad Blood: Liddell vs. Ortiz is a pick-up. The story of Chuck and Tito is the stuff of legend any MMA fan will want to have it on their shelf. Each one completed the other and because of that, we were treated to some great fights and moments that continue to stand the test of time. It’s interesting to see fighters like a young baby-faced Josh Koscheck in awe of Chuck and Tito in the octagon.